Storyline: Home to home westward
It has been about a year since we booked our accidental around the world trip, and less than 6 months since we completed it. There are many more topics we wanted touch on, however our next trip is just around the corner and planning the one after is already underway. Thus, we’d like to wrap-up our storyline “Home to home westwards”.
Here, we reflect on our amazing trip from the distance of time past.
We loved every moment of it and we enjoyed every place we visited. Some we liked more than others, but that’s just the nature of travelling.
I miss the anticipation. I miss waking up every morning and venturing into a new experience: be it walking up the glorious mountains swept by the beauty of the snowy peaks,
or gazing at the starry skies and admiring the quiet majesty the fjords, be it exploring a chaotic city with the danger of being run over,
or having a laugh at a stranger making inappropriate comments to an older woman (me that is) while Alex is taking photos around the corner, be it mingling with the locals during their art, music and food festivals or turning around a corner and discovering a local market,
be it listening to the quietness of the desert at sunrise or staring into the darkness through the train window wondering was it a kangaroo we just saw or a tree,
be it walking into a restaurant and discovering the taste of the local cuisine or chatting with a random stranger, be it finding that your next destination is cut off because of torrential rains and how the locals deal with it….
The elements of unknown, the discovery, the constant change and learning, the perpetual movement. Observing and learning how different cultures cope with their daily chores and lives. Experiences that educated and enriched us. Experiences that will stay with us even when our memories fade.
Counterpoint by Alex: I have no disagreement with Diana’s words above. However, by the time we arrived in Bangkok with two weeks left in our three-month trip, I was tired of the constant moving from place to place and a bit overwhelmed by the volume of new and delightful experiences we had had to that point. Frankly, I was looking forward to a break. (Ha, he was looking forward to watching endless YouTube videos from the comfort of his chair at home? – D).
New Zealand vs Australia
These two rival neighbours, although relatively close geographically, are very different countries. There is constant drama in New Zealand: volcanos, earthquakes, floods, washed out roads and railroads, you name it.
High mountains with snowy peaks, deep canyons, roaring rivers, narrow steep roads…. If you remember we had to change our plans due to closure of the only road on the west coast (South Island that is) because of a bridge collapse during heavy rains.
It is a very green and beautiful country though, with incredible scenery. South Island is reminiscent of Scotland for its narrow roads, changeable weather, greenery and sheep. Although mountains this high and lakes this big are nowhere to be seen in Scotland.
Australia, the world’s smallest continent, on the other hand, is huge. A land of beaches, rain forest, deserts, mountains and lovely cities.
Its vastness, with population located primarily at the extremities, reminds me of Canada. Just replace the desert with the prairies, and the extreme heat there with the extreme cold at home. Being driven around Wagga Wagga, I had the feeling of calm, almost uneventful nothingness.
And silence. Oh, the silence of the desert! So very relaxing. I had the same relaxing feeling while greeting the sun in the desert at Marla and later crossing the red outback to Alice Springs and beyond.
If you are a city person, Australia has much more to offer with Melbourne and Sydney on the top of the list with their entertainment, museums and night life opportunities. Auckland is not even close, but because of the hiking opportunities it won our hearts.
Although Australia boasts excellent hiking, New Zealand provides more interesting and challenging opportunities.
But if you prefer long, sandy beaches, then despite the fact that NZ has some incredible examples, Australia is the choice: just make sure it’s safe from crocodiles and sharks. And it is a lot hotter in Australia.
Seafood, though, was excellent in both countries.
The contrast between the two, with each having things the other doesn’t, is so incredible that it makes a perfect combination for your trip, especially if you are visiting from afar.
South Asia
We only visited Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand this time.
We won’t compare the city-country Singapore with any other country since it is a world by itself. You have to visit to know what I am referring to. And it’s definitely worth visiting.
Malaysia vs Thailand
We only visited 3 cities in each of these two neighbouring countries so our comparison is probably quite incomplete. However, there is a lot to be said about the stark differences between the two and if you are after cultural experiences, we’d recommend visiting both. Again, as in New Zealand vs Australia, you’ll find many things to see and do in one country that you won’t find in the other. And they both are easy on the wallets.
Thailand, a thoroughly Buddhist country, has retained its local authenticity even after embracing modernization. 
You will find something funky, eclectic and unique even in the uber expensive shopping mall areas of Bangkok.
Although with generally friendly locals we ran into numerous scam attempts.
The pace of life switches easily from hectic to laid back, making it for a dynamic vibe.
Being a multicultural country, Malaysia on the other hand, has a diverse ethnic cuisine, religions (predominantly Muslim), cultures and spoken languages, with English being studied at schools and spoken by almost everyone.
Pace of life is slow and gentle with friendly locals. Modern infrastructure, clean highways and sprawling well-connected cities give it a sophisticated vibe.
We enjoyed the street food in both countries.
However, we’ll give Thailand the edge for the food markets being cleaner, with stalls turned towards the sidewalks and seating areas often with live entertainment.
Compare this to Malaysian food vendors with their stalls facing onto the streets and often behind open sewers separating them from their customers.
If you are after party life then Thailand will win you. The markets, the night bars, the music and the roadside dancing….
Being more conservative though, Malaysia has glamorous upscale bars and private clubs we were told.
Dynamic vs relaxed and subdued.
Both are easy to get around with cheap and readily available buses, trains and internal flights.
Both countries felt safe; at no time did we feel concerned about our well-being although we found tons of attempted tourist scammers in Bangkok. Or rather they found us and tried their best to relieve us of some baht.
Counterpoint by Alex: these countries were our introduction to Asia. Coming from the Toronto area in Canada, we are blessed with a very multicultural environment and are exposed to word cuisine almost at our doorstep. But it was, as expected, a bit of a culture shock to step into these worlds. And a welcome one.
The artifacts of being away from home
We missed our family and friends of course, but we found them all well upon our return. We didn’t much miss our house that was well taken care of, but we enjoyed it even more when back, especially having a drink or two in our backyard.
Missed Seasons
Above all, I’d say I definitely missed spring, and the feeling of succession in seasons. Not that there was a Spring in Ontario this year, our friends will say, but still. We left at what we thought was the end of Winter here to land it the middle Fall down under. We left South Australia at the end of their Fall. The tropical temperature in Asia was nothing known to us, so in a way it didn’t count. We came home in the middle of Summer. I had no time to plant any vegetables or even to put out a few flowerpots. Luckily my sorrel wasn’t devastated by the rabbits and the rhubarb and lovage were alive and well. The harsh winter had killed the rest of my perennial herbs.
For our favorable and not so favorable moments check the next post which will conclude this chapter of our travels and travails.
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